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Tribalism: Thorny Issue Towards Reconciliation in South Africa – a Practical Theological Appraisal

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Tribalism: Thorny Issue Towards Reconciliation in South Africa – a Practical Theological Appraisal HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies ISSN: (Online) 2072-8050, (Print) 0259-9422 Page 1 of 7 Original Research Tribalism: Thorny issue towards reconciliation in South Africa – A practical theological appraisal Author: The apartheid regime used various strategies to ensure that South Africans formed a divided 1 Elijah M. Baloyi nation. It was through the differences between ethnic groups and tribes, among other things, Affiliation: that the government of the time managed to manipulate and entrench hatred and a lack of 1Department of Philosophy, trust among most black South Africans. Tribalism, which existed even before apartheid, Practical and Systematic became instrumental in inflicting those divisions as perpetuated by the formation of Theology, University of homelands. The various ethnic groups had been turned against one other, and it had become South Africa, South Africa a norm. Nepotism, which is part and parcel of the South African government, is just an Corresponding author: extension of tribalism. It is the objective of this article to uncover how tribalism is still rearing Elijah Baloyi its ugly head. From a practical theological perspective, it is important to deal with tribalism as [email protected] a tool that plays a part in delaying tribal reconciliation, which was orchestrated by apartheid Dates: policies in South Africa. Received: 15 Aug. 2017 Accepted: 29 Mar. 2018 Published: 28 June 2018 Introduction How to cite this article: A newspaper article entitled ‘I am not an African, no, I am 100% Zulu’ did not only help to sell the Baloyi, E.M., 2018, ‘Tribalism: paper but also sketched a picture of tribalism in South Africa (Khumalo 2016). The slogan of ‘100% Thorny issue towards reconciliation in South Africa – Zulu’ was made famous by President Jacob Zuma when he had to face various rape charges. A practical theological Moloi (2016) indicated that tribalism is not history by saying, ‘The danger of tribalism is at our appraisal’, HTS Teologiese doorstep. It is so scary that in the current situation it is associated with our previous kings’. It is Studies/Theological Studies remarkable that in all research colonialism, among other things, also played a role in inflicting 74(2), 4772. https://doi. org/10.4102/hts.v74i2.4772 tribal tensions. There are many incidents that evidence that tribalism in South Africa is at work to try and keep the black people separated in accordance with their ethnic or tribal divides. For the Copyright: sake of this study, I will only mention a few to open the discussion: © 2018. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work 1. It is on record that Senzeni Zokwana was dragged to court by his department’s liaison officer, is licensed under the Renee Thompson, on claims of her being discriminated as a tribalist (Ndenze 2016:2). Creative Commons Attribution License. 2. Secondly, there is a recorded claim that when SABC Radio station ‘Phalaphala FM’ was moved from Polokwane to Thohoyandou, it was a way of taking it back to its people. This meant the former Venda homeland is where its people are. 3. Some attribution when the African National Congress (ANC) lost to Democratic Alliance (DA) and EFF coalition in the Tshwane municipality elections in 2016 pointed to tribal contestations in which many Tswana-speaking people in the area declined to support Thoko Didiza as they claimed she does not belong to Tshwane, but to KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) (News24Wire June, 23, 2016). 4. Another tribalism was evidenced during the Malamulele-Vuwani protests in which the inability to speak fluent Venda was a criteria used to turn back people who were crossing to Thohoyandou to do some shopping when their area, Malamulele, was violently in protest to have its own municipality (SABC, Munghana Lonene, 06 February 2015). These few cases strengthen Boahen’s (1992) argument in which he agrees that the racial and ethnic divides have not only continued to haunt our nation but also affected its rivalry. Baloyi (2016:43) argues that: ‘[O]ne of the pressing issues in the present day South Africa is reconciliation and unification of South Africans across the racial and ethnic divides that were created during apartheid’. This confirms that colonial education ensured that the black ethnic groups did not only undermine one another but also subjugated one another (Ashimolowo 2007:271). Though the slow pace can be blamed on many factors, the continued tribalism plays a special role in Read online: ensuring the delay of the reconciliation programmes towards the previously racially and Scan this QR tribally divided South Africa. It is therefore the intention of the researcher to argue that tribalism code with your smart phone or mobile device Note: This article is a product of a reworked paper delivered in a conference entitled ‘Transatlantic Roundtable …’ that was held between to read online. 27 and 30 July 2017 in Howard University, Washington DC, United States. Note: This article is published in the section Practical Theology of the Society for Practical Theology in South Africa. http://www.hts.org.za Open Access Page 2 of 7 Original Research is still troubling South Africa, despite being 22 years into ground for racism, which ensured that South Africans are democracy. It is my articulation that practical theology must really divided and blacks were subjected. The tribalism that have a specific role to play through its church and pastoral was evidenced by tensions between Tsongas and Vendas in services. the Vuwani-Malamulele municipality protests (As in Baloyi 2016:50) potentially works against the project of uniting a Problem statement, relevance and divided South Africa. The fact that racism used tribalism, among other instruments, to ensure that South Africans were motivation of the study divided so that subjection of one race by the other could take Memela (2017:14) confirms the disappearance of ubuntu, place, demands that tribalism is also addressed when the which has always been used as a tool to unite black people bigger picture of racial division is to be overcome. The fact across various cultures, traditions and ethnic divides when that tribalism became an effective tool for divide and rule stating the following: ‘Well-off blacks lost their sense of policies implemented by the apartheid regime indicates that ubuntu and have instead bought into the selfishness of white tribalism cannot be innocent if we want reconciliation in capitalism.’ South Africa. The parting shot is that if racism and past divisions are to be eradicated, the tools among which This research is situated in the discipline of practical theology. tribalism is evidenced must be part of the project towards There is a considerable amount of evidence that besides reconciliation. other sociological disciplines, practical theology has not done much as far as fighting for the reduction or elimination Why practical theology? of tribalism is concerned. This is an acknowledgement that sociology is doing well in this regard, but the gap for practical Practical theology concerns itself with ending human theology needs to be occupied too. Dlanjwa (2015:5) makes suffering, fostering well-being and seeking human liberation, the following statement: ‘Tribalism is visible in almost all freedom and equality. This is what Morris (2014:22–23) refers government departments, and especially in South African to when arguing about a theology that should be on the side police stations.’ This statement supports Dlanjwa’s argument of the poor and those who struggle for human emancipation. that 21 years after the first elections, tribalism is back with It is for this reason that Graham Walton (in Morris 2014:23) a vengeance. One of the effects of tribalism is that some insists that liberation theology helped to shape practical government departments are seen as representatives of theology towards what we call ‘theology in action: praxis’. certain tribes; hence, the equity act that our constitution Besides being a discipline that just interprets and employs expects is biased. This is becoming a playground for civil the thoughts of other disciplines, it could also be a critical war and genocide. In his report entitled ‘Tribalism is eating conversation that converses with the real world in its own South Africa alive’, Bevhula (2017:10) hits the nail on the context (Pattison 2000:135–145). When looking at Osmer’s head. One of the popular pastors and preachers, Billy (2008:57) view, it makes sense to say that the unity between Graham, was quoted as (Sanou 2015:96) saying that racial the thoughts above gives us a discipline that engages with and ethnic resentment is the number one social problem that the real challenges and problems and affects people with churches worldwide are faced with. its methodologies. It is for this reason that I see practical theology as a relevant discipline that involves itself in dealing As part of the injustices of the past, tribalism is playing a with issues related to the challenges contemporary people crucial role in delaying the reconciliation and unification of are faced with; tribalism in this instance. It is a pastoral society, which has been fragmented for long time now. I share paradigm to see the church actively engaged in the public the sentiments of Lyborn Rikhotso (2016:12) that ‘tribal sphere, the focus being on providing material and spiritual remarks must be condemned because they are as bad as racist care to God’s people (Carney 2008:2). remarks’. This argument resulted from some people trying to judge the performance of Johannesburg Mayor, Herman Historical background Mashaba on the basis of him being either a Mozambican or Tsonga. For me it is a theological concern that factionalism The definition of tribalism is important for the discussion. continues to characterise this nation. It is for this reason that According to Nothwehr (2008:5), tribalism is the attitude and if theology cannot reach people in the immediate situation, practice of harbouring such a strong feeling of loyalty or it is not only irrelevant but also ceased to exist.
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